


Protected

by magicgamble



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M, i mean cmon they're clearly in love, my first davey/jack fic, probably not the last
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 06:24:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8045701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicgamble/pseuds/magicgamble
Summary: Okay this is almost LITERALLY the scene from the movie where Pulitzer threatens Jack in order to get him to work for him. I'm serious it's almost word-for-word because tbh the movie is already gay as hell so why would I need to change it?? God bless Newsies.





	Protected

“Now your partner, what’s his name? David? I understand he has a family.”

Jack’s chest constricted at hearing David’s name on Joe’s lips. The old man’s finger stabbed him in the chest again, and he had to fight the urge to slap it away. Joe’s eyes were cold as they bored into Jack’s, though his threats held the pretense of concern. “What do you think the Refuge will do to him?” Joe asked, and it was a strange thing to hear. A place like the Refuge seemed impossible when standing amidst the niceties of Joe Pulitzer’s parlor.

The threat still hung in the air, but Jack couldn’t even entertain it. Davey didn’t belong in the Refuge. Not one bit. Jack remained silent, and Joe continued, “how would it feel, knowing it was _you_ who put him there?”

Jack’s blood ran cold. He could see that Joe meant what he was saying. The man was scared enough to use anything he had against Jack, but _Davey_ …

Davey with his quick wit, his slow, shy smile, the way he spoke… Davey didn’t deserve this. Hell, the kid was barely even a Newsie. Jack felt like he owed him so much, but what had he ever done for Davey except get him in trouble? The answer made his stomach ache.

Joe looked him over, seeing if his threats had worked. He would probably never understand just how well they had. “Go back to the Refuge tonight,” he said, his voice grating on Jack’s last nerve. “Think about it. Give me your answer in the morning.”

Jack stumbled when Joe pushed him toward the door. _Say something,_ he kept telling himself, but nothing came to him. He was no Mouth. Maybe if Davey had been here, he could’ve given Jack something really good to say, but he wasn’t, and Jack hated it. He hated not knowing where Davey was. Hell, he hated not being close enough to grab his shirtsleeve or wrap his arm around his shoulders.

Jack left the room in silence, one word tumbling around in his head. _Free._ Leaving this place and heading out West had never been more possible. He could leave all of this behind. The strike, the Refuge, the uncertainty. Joe was going to let him do it. Jack could be in Santa Fe by-

_No._

He couldn’t do that to them. He wouldn’t become a Scabber. He was sick just thinking about it. The boys were everything, and without them…

But he couldn’t let them be hurt again, either. Crutchie was already in the Refuge because of him. How could he let anyone else- especially Davey- suffer the same way? He couldn’t.

“Shit,” he whispered, realizing that he had no options. Not if he wanted to save Davey and the boys.

The front door opened, and as Jack descended the steps toward the carriage, a familiar voice called, “Jack!”

He turned. Davey stood there, waving his arms as if Jack wouldn’t see him. “Come on! Come on!”

“Shit,” Jack repeated. He couldn’t explain here; Davey would hesitate and then he’d be caught for sure. He slid down the banister and landed on the ground, aware of Snyder behind him, who had just realized that an escape was taking place. Sprinting after Davey, Jack flew through Pulitzer’s gate, but not before he saw the horse get away from its carriage, leaving behind any chance for Snyder to catch up. He stole a look at Davey, who was clearly the mastermind behind it, and his heart swelled.

They turned street corner after street corner, and Jack briefly wondered what would happen if he just kept running. Everything would be much simpler if he just let Davey rescue him. But he couldn’t. He slowed, and Davey turned. “Come on, keep running!”

Jack slowed even further, and then stopped. “You shouldn’t have done this, Dave,” he said. “They could put you in jail.” 

Davey’s face fell for a moment, but then he rolled his eyes. Flippant. “I don’t care!”

Jack took a breath, his head rushing. He didn’t want to do this, and Dave wasn’t going to be any help. “Come ‘ere.” He grabbed Dave’s shirtfront and pushed him up against the alley wall. Dave’s eyebrows drew low, and he looked between Jack’s face and hand, still rough against his chest. His eyes were huge and gray, but his face was shadowed. It didn’t matter. Jack would’ve been able to draw it in a heartbeat. “What about your family?” Jack asked. “What happens to them if you go to jail?”

Dave’s countenance immediately dropped, his throat working. He looked to be listening, but his body was tense- angry. He hadn’t tried to move away from where he was pinned against the alley wall, and Jack wondered why.

“You don’t know nothin’ about jail,” Jack said, pushing him a bit to make his point. He needed Dave to buy it. He needed him to understand. Jack couldn’t watch Dave’s family starve just as much as he couldn’t watch Dave go to the Refuge. He wasn’t meant for a place like that. No kid was. “Thanks for what you’ve done,” Jack said, “but you better get outta here.”

Davey let out a breath, and then another, almost panicked. Jack had to look away for a moment so he wouldn’t cave in. “I- I don’t understand,” Dave uttered. He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

Jack’s grip on Davey’s shirt tightened so he wouldn’t try to touch his face. “Neither do I,” Jack admitted, desperate. He didn’t think he _could_ make Davey understand why he had to do this right now. He might not ever understand. Jack had thought that mentioning his family would change his mind for good, but Dave still looked like he’d be ready to run if Jack said the word. Jack didn’t let himself think about that for too long, but what if it _was_ what he thought it was? What a stroke of luck that would be- if Davey really did like him back, and just when Jack had to leave him. “Just get outta here!” Jack said, pushing him further into the alley.

Davey stumbled back, his mouth still open. He looked crushed. Jack had expected resistance, but he hadn’t expected how painful it was to see Dave like this. “No!” Dave yelled.

Some part of Jack’s heart tugged forward. Davey didn’t want to let him go.

“Go!” Jack pointed down the alley. _Leave, Davey, leave,_ half of him was saying, while the other half kept envisioning Dave running towards him, wrapping him up in his arms and refusing to let go.

It didn’t happen. Just as he should, Dave gave Jack one last look- anger, disgust, fear, betrayal- and walked away, his hands in fists at his sides and his head bowed. Jack watched him go and slid farther down the slick alley wall as every step took Dave farther away.

“You had to,” he whispered to himself. “You had to, you had to…”

But what consolation was that, really? Davey was still gone, and when he saw Jack tomorrow, he’d never come back.


End file.
